Twitter Erupts as Manti Te'o Explains His Story to Katie Couric

Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker MantiTe'o made a highly anticipated national television appearance in an interview with ABC's Katie Couric, which was conducted on Wednesday but aired Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

Te'o told his side of the story of the fake girlfriend hoax he was duped into, which began during his sophomore year of college. Naturally, the Twitterverse was abuzz with every word Te'o said.

This story has captivated the country for over a week with many bizarre twists and turns with every report that has come out. Just this morning, a report stated the hoax's mastermind, RonaiahTuiasosopo, posed as alleged girlfriend LennayKekua and talked like a girl to dupe Te'o (h/t New York Daily News).

Te'o and his parents did their best to justify how he figured into this complex equation on the syndicated talk show Katie, and people had plenty to say about it.

ESPN's Rick Reilly's patience was tested within the first five minutes, after the broadcast rehashed the key details of the Te'o saga: